Kate Middleton: 7 Things You Didn't Know About the Future Royal

Sorry, ladies. Britain's Prince William is now officially off the market.

The gal who won his heart is Kate Middleton, a striking, leggy 28-year-old brunette who, although not of royal blood, is certainly up for playing the part.

Wills, as Prince William is affectionately known in the U.K., proposed to Middleton in Kenya last month, using the oval, blue 18-carat sapphire and diamond ring that had belonged to his mother, Princess Diana.

The nearly nine-year courtship, including a short break-up in 2007, is long enough to have allowed for more than a tad of royal-watchers' Kate-Middleton scrutiny.

She's a fashion trend-setter in the making. There may be no more off-the-rack for Middleton. The Mail on Sunday's royal correspondent, Katie Nicoll, reported earlier this month that the dress she wore to the wedding of one of William's friends was custom-made by her favorite dress designer, Brazilian Daniella Issa Helayel, who has also designed couture gowns for Madonna.

The publication noted a comment from one of Middleton's friends: "Kate knows she's going to need conservative yet attractive outfits once they are engaged and she's started collecting a very enviable wardrobe."

Princess-in-Waiting: Who Is Kate Middleton?

She's a daughter of entrepreneurs. Middleton's parents -- dad is a former pilot, mom a former flight attendant -- created Party Pieces, a mail-order, party-supply company. The Daily Express refers to the Middletons as "self-made millionaire parents" who sent Kate to the elite Marlborough School. An article in the Daily Telegraph noted "the oft-repeated dismissal of the self-made Middletons as being too 'middle class' for the hoity-toity haut monde."

She's sporty. An article in the Sunday Times this summer noted that Middleton's "real strength lay on the field." The author of the article, Camilla Long, wrote: "A set of school photographs showed team shots of a thrilled 12-year-old Kate on the hockey, tennis, netball, rounders and swimming teams: a winning streak her mother encouraged."

Royal Wedding Excitement Begins

To this day, Long noted, "Kate remains a total sports obsessive" who works out in the gym nearly every day.

Fun Facts About Kate Middleton

She's food savvy. In her Sunday Times article, Long noted that Middleton watches her weight with care. A friend, interviewed for the story, attributed Middleton's thinness to "not eating so much. She's never had an eating problem; she's just extremely disciplined."

The friend described Middleton as sticking to "beans, salads, salmon and barbecues," but added that a recent slimming down might be the result of stress. Now, the friend said, she's "wedding-dress skinny."

Prince William and Kate Middleton's Love Story

She and William were buddies in college. The adage that young people should see each other at their worst before making a commitment seems to apply even to royal mash-ups.